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Bill Gates and Warren Buffett want to build a new kind of nuclear reactor to generate electricity. Why? Because the wind doesn’t always blow and the sun doesn’t always shine. They intend to plunk their new toy down in the state of Wyoming on the former site of a coal-fired generating plant.

“This is our fastest and clearest course to becoming carbon negative,” says Wyoming’s governor Mark Gordon. “Nuclear power is clearly a part of my all-of-the-above strategy for energy.” Wyoming is the top coal producing state in America.

According to The Guardian, the new facility will be a joint venture between TerraPower, founded by Gates 15 years ago, and PacifiCorp, a Berkshire Hathaway-owned utility that serves customers in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, California, Oregon, and Washington.

Small advanced reactors, which run on different fuels than traditional reactors, are regarded by some as a critical carbon-free technology that can supplement intermittent power sources like wind and solar as states strive to cut emissions that cause climate change. “We think Natrium will be a game-changer for the energy industry,” Gates told a media conference in Cheyenne, Wyoming this week.

PacifiCorp service area. Image credit: SEC

345 Megawatts

The Guardian says the new generating station will produce 345 megawatts of electricity, but the output can be boosted by a molten salt energy storage component to 500 megawatts. The primary feature of the so-called Natrium technology is that it uses sodium to cool the reactor instead of water. Natrium is the Latin word for sodium, which is why its symbol on the periodic table of elements is Na.

Chris Levesque, TerraPower CEO, told the press this week the demonstration plant will cost about $1 billion and will take about seven years to build. “We need this kind of clean energy on the grid in the 2030s,” he told reporters. Actually, Chris, we need clean energy on the grid now, not 7+ years from now. A billion dollars would buy more than 500 MW of power and have it online, together with grid storage batteries, in a lot less time. Why wait?

Natrium Technology

I am not a nuclear engineer nor am I a rocket scientist, so I have to rely on Wikipedia to inform me about some things (I contribute $5 a month to support Wikipedia and encourage you to do the same).

Here is what I found out:

Image credit: Wikimedia/Public Domain

Advantages

The primary advantage of liquid metal coolants, such as liquid sodium, is that metal atoms are weak neutron moderators. Water is a much stronger neutron moderator because the hydrogen atoms found in water are much lighter than metal atoms, and therefore neutrons lose more energy in collisions with hydrogen atoms.

This makes it difficult to use water as a coolant for a fast reactor because the water tends to slow (moderate) the fast neutrons into thermal neutrons (though concepts for reduced moderation water reactors exist).

Another advantage of liquid sodium coolant is that sodium melts at 371K and boils / vaporizes at 1156K, a total temperature range of 785K between solid / frozen and gas / vapor states. By comparison, the liquid temperature range of water (between ice and gas) is just 100K at normal, sea-level atmospheric pressure conditions. Despite sodium’s low specific heat (as compared to water), this enables the absorption of significant heat in the liquid phase, even allowing for safety margins. Moreover, the high thermal conductivity of sodium effectively creates a reservoir of heat capacity which provides thermal inertia against overheating.

Sodium also need not be pressurized since its boiling point is much higher than the reactor’s operating temperature, and sodium does not corrode steel reactor parts.[2] The high temperatures reached by the coolant (the Phénix reactor outlet temperature was 560° C) permit a higher thermodynamic efficiency than in water-cooled reactors. The molten sodium, being electrically conductive, can also be pumped by electromagnetic pumps.

Disadvantages

A disadvantage of sodium is its chemical reactivity, which requires special precautions to prevent and suppress fires. If sodium comes into contact with water it reacts to produce sodium hydroxide and hydrogen, and the hydrogen burns when in contact with air.

This was the case at the Monju Nuclear Power Plant in a 1995 accident. In addition, neutron capture causes it to become radioactive; however, activated sodium has a half-life of only 15 hours. Another problem is sodium leaks which are regarded by a critic of fast reactors, M.V. Ramana, as “pretty much impossible to prevent.”

Fuel Used

Wikipedia adds that a natrium facility that generates less than 500 MW of electricity uses “uranium-plutonium-minor-actinide-zirconium metal alloy fuel, which is supported by a fuel cycle based on pyrometallurgical reprocessing in facilities integrated with the reactor.” I don’t know about you, but the words “uranium” and “plutonium” don’t sound like “different fuels compared to traditional nuclear reactors.”

The Guardian points out that nuclear power experts have warned that advanced reactors could have higher risks than conventional ones. Fuel for many advanced reactors would have to be enriched at a much higher rate than conventional fuel, meaning the fuel supply chain could be an attractive target for militants looking to create a crude nuclear weapon. And don’t even be concerned about Russian hackers. We know those malefactors only like to interrupt gasoline pipelines and beef processing plants. Pooty Poot and his henchmen would never stoop so low as to hack a nuclear power plant…would they?

People always rush to criticize Tesla for selling emissions credits, but no one wants to talk about the $80 million the US Department of Energy has already invested in TerraPower with millions more coming in the future. No one would expect Bill Gates and Warren Buffett — two of the richest white men in history — to foot the bill for their boondoggles all by themselves, would they?

All Of The Above

The key to understanding this story is found in Governor Gordon’s use of the words “all of the above.” That’s free market speak for “We’re happy to have a piddly little 350 MW facility of over here, just so long as we can continue supporting coal- and gas-powered generating plants that churn out hundreds of gigawatts over there.” In other words, it’s a smokescreen designed to allow fossil fuel interests to kick the can down the road a little further and add some greenwashing to their corporate portfolios at the same time.

Being rich does not necessarily make a person all that smart. America needs more nuclear power like a fish needs a bicycle. People in Wyoming may be fooled by this blather, but CleanTechnica readers aren’t taking the bait. Natrium was probably selected as the name of thus new nuclear technology because it sounds a little like “nature” or “natural.” That’s a great marketing ploy, but we’re not buying it. Frankly, the Bill and Warren show is more than a little disappointing.

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Navee’s new GT3 Pro smart regen e-scooter at $520 low, Ride1Up 4th of July Sale, Aiper smart pool monitor + robots, lawn care tools, more

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June 27, 2025

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Navee's new GT3 Pro smart regen e-scooter at 0 low, Ride1Up 4th of July Sale, Aiper smart pool monitor + robots, lawn care tools, more

We’re closing out this week’s Green Deals leading with a spotlight on Navee’s new GT3 Pro Electric Scooter that sports regenerative braking, Apple Find My, and more at its $520 low during the brand’s Independence Day Sale. Right behind it is Ride1Up’s 4th of July e-bike Sale with up to $500 discounts its lineup of e-bikes starting from $995. From there, we have Aiper’s HydroComm Solar-Charging Smart Pool Monitor in a blue colorway at $350, as well as several of the brand’s pool-cleaning robots. For our final tool deals of the week, we spotted Worx’s Nitro 40V 15-inch PowerShare Pro Cordless Driveshare String Trimmer bundle (two batteries and replacement head), which allows you to use alternate attachments from this brand or others, down at a $230 annual low. We also have Greenworks’ legacy 24V 22-inch Cordless Laser Cut Hedge Trimmer kit at its best price in years for $97. Plus, there’s all the rest of the hangover Green Deals in the links at the bottom of the page, like yesterday’s 4th of July Rad Power e-bike savings, the 48-hour EcoFlow flash sale on three units that will be ending tonight, and more.

Head below for other New Green Deals we’ve found today and, of course, Electrek’s best EV buying and leasing deals. Also, check out the new Electrek Tesla Shop for the best deals on Tesla accessories.

Hop on Navee’s new GT3 Pro electric scooter for up to 37 miles with regen braking, Apple Find My, more at $520 low

Looking back in on Navee’s Independence Day Sale that is running through July 7, we wanted to shine a spotlight on the new GT3 Pro Electric Scooter down at $519.99 shipped during this sale. While it launched back in March carrying a $1,099 MSRP, it’s more recently been seen at $650 when at full price outside of these sales, with the deal here beating out its Amazon pricing by $80. You’re looking at the best price we have tracked while the stock and savings last, with the 20% markdown providing $130 in savings. You can also bundle two GT3 Pro electric scooters for added savings at $974.99 shipped.

Navee’s new GT3 Pro Electric Scooter debuted alongside the brand’s new flagship ST3 Pro model, with much of the same performance, albeit without the new damping arm suspension system, but it does sport a front fork suspension paired with a rear cylinder suspension. This high-end commuter comes equipped with a 400W motor that can ramp itself as high as 1,000W to tackle steep inclines and provide faster acceleration up to its 19.9 MPH top speed, while the 477.4Wh battery gives you a max 37.3-mile travel range.

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The GT3 Pro electric scooter comes with an IPX5 water-resistant construction for when you may be caught mid-journey by sudden weather changes, and sports other features, including regenerative rear brakes alongside front drum brakes, 10-inch tubeless puncture-resistant tires, an auto-on headlight, a taillight with brake lighting, turn signal indicators on the ends of its handlebars, a foldable design, an integrated LED display, and more. It also brings some smart features to your experience, like the Apple Find My integrations, as well as other app-based smart controls.

Be sure to check out the full lineup of Navee’s Independence Day Sale, especially if you’re considering grabbing the flagship ST3 Pro Electric Scooter with Apple Find My, the new damping arm suspension – plus the increased 25 MPH speed and 46.6-mile range – all at its $760 low.

Ride1Up Roadster e-bike

Save up to $500 through 4th of July on a selection of Ride1Up e-bikes starting from $995

Ride1Up has launched its 4th of July Sale, which is offering similar savings that we’ve seen in recent sales, with up to $500 being taken off four e-bikes and their variants. Among the offers, you’ll find the lightweight and more urban-friendly Roadster v3 e-bike down at $1,395 shipped after being restocked, with it coming with either a 9-speed chain drive or a single-speed belt drive, and three options for frame sizing. It’s only down from a $1,495 full price, which we’ve seen throughout sales in 2025 so far, and sits as the best price we have tracked in the last year.

A considerably upgraded model from its predecessor, sporting more frame and drivetrain options, the Roadster V3 is a stealthy and minimalist ride that is easily managed within urban environments thanks to its 40-pound weight. It comes with a 500W angled-gear MIVICE hub motor for quieter performance, as well as a 320Wh battery, which pairs together to provide up to 40 miles of pedal-assisted travel (half that using the throttle), at top speeds of 25 MPH for the belt-drive setup or 28 MPH for the chain-drive.

Among the other features you’ll be getting, there’s the Intui-Drive torque sensor for ultra-responsive and smoothed out PAS support, 2-piston hydraulic brakes, a choice between Schwalbe G-One RS or Pirelli Cinturato gravel tires, fenders over each tire (depending on our tire choice), a water-resistant 36V 18A MIVICE controller, a two-tone 1.3-inch VeloFox tempered glass OLED display, and more.

Ride1Up’s full 4th of July e-bike deals:

  • Portola Folding e-bike: $995 (Reg. $1,095)
    • 20 MPH throttle, 28 MPH PAS for up to 40 miles
    • Upgrade to 13.4Ah battery for $100 more and 45-mile travels
  • Roadster V3 Lightweight Premium Belt-Drive e-bike: $1,395 (Reg. $1,495)
    • 25 MPH for up to 40 miles
  • Roadster V3 Lightweight Premium Chain-Drive e-bike: $1,395 (Reg. $1,495)
    • 28 MPH for up to 40 miles
  • Prodigy v2 Brose Mid-Drive 9-Speed e-bike: $2,095 (Reg. $2,495)
    • 28 MPH for up to 50 miles
  • Revv 1 Full Suspension Moped-Style e-bike: $2,395 (Reg. $2,595)
    • 20+ MPH for up to 60 miles
  • Revv 1 DRT Off-Road Moped-Style e-bike: $2,495 (Reg. $2,595)
    • 20+ MPH for up to 60 miles
  • Prodigy v2 Brose Mid-Drive Gates Belt CVT e-bike: $2,595 (Reg. $2,795)
    • 28 MPH for up to 50 miles
aiper hydrocomm smart pool monitor

Aiper’s solar-charging HydroComm smart pool monitor covers testing for pH, ORP, EC, TDS, and temp at $350

Coming through its official Amazon storefront, you can pick up Aiper’s latest HydroComm Smart Pool Monitor in its blue colorway at $349.99 shipped, after clipping the on-page $50 off coupon. This new device hit the market back in mid-April with a $500 price tag, which has recently been staying at $400 since the previous discount at the top of June. Today’s deal comes in as the second-lowest price we have tracked, giving you $50 off the going rate and landing it $50 above the launch discount from April. It’s also beating out Aiper’s direct website pricing by $20. Head below to learn about this device and check out the brand’s robot pool cleaners that are seeing discounts.

No need to deal with outdated testing kits after you’ve added Aiper’s HydroComm monitor to your pool, providing 5-in-1 testing support for pH, ORP, EC, TDS, and temperature levels. A standout feature is the built-in solar panel that gives it a continuous 24/7 runtime as long as it gets some sun during the days. And when the sun decides to hide amongst the clouds, rest easy knowing you can also recharge it via the DC input.

Aiper’s pool cleaning robot deals:

  • Scuba SE: $170 (Reg. $200) | $30 less at Aiper
    • for above-ground pools up to 860 square feet in size
    • floor cleaning
  • Seagull SE: $160 (Reg. $180) | matched at Aiper
    • for above-ground pools up to 850 square feet in size
    • floor cleaning
  • 2025 Surfer S2 Solar Pool Skimmer: $340 (Reg. $540) | matched at Aiper
    • built-in solar panel, remote manual steering, more
  • Scuba S1: $500 (Reg. $700)
    • for in-ground pools up to 1,600 square feet in size
    • floor/wall/water line cleaning
  • Seagull Pro: $530 (Reg. $600) | $30 less at Aiper
    • for in-ground pools up to 1,600 square feet in size
    • floor/wall/water line cleaning
  • And much more…
worx string trimmer

Worx’s attachment-capable 40V Nitro 15-inch PowerShare Pro cordless string trimmer bundle hits $230 annual low

Amazon is offering the best recent pricing on the Worx Nitro 40V 15-inch PowerShare Pro Cordless Driveshare String Trimmer with two 4.0Ah batteries, a dual-slot charger, and a replacement trimmer head for $229.99 shipped. Down from its $300 price we have been tracking most recently, this bundled package hasn’t been this low in well over a year, with it otherwise keeping at its full rate. Today’s deal brings a 23% markdown into the mix, cutting $70 off the going rate to land it at the best price we’ve tracked over the last 12 months and the second-lowest price overall – $10 above the low. If you already have plenty of 40V PowerShare batteries, you can get the trimmer and the replacement head at $199.99 shipped.

A more versatile model of string trimmers, this 40V Nitro model from Worx comes sporting the Driveshare functionality, with a split-shaft design that allows for the brand’s various attachments to be swapped out with the trimmer head – and it’s compatible with many other brand’s attachments to boot. The brushless motor can be dialed up or back with the variable speed control, which includes an Eco mode for optimal runtimes, while the 15-inch dual-exit head makes replacing broken lines all the faster and easier. Plus, there’s the lack of gas, fumes, pull strings, and noise over gas-guzzling counterparts.

If you wanted to pick this trimmer up alongside any of the brand’s various attachments, be sure to browse what Worx has to offer in its official Amazon storefront on the landing page here.

greenworks hedge trimmer

Keep hedges in tip-top shape with Greenworks’ legacy 24V 22-inch cordless laser cut trimmer kit at $97

Amazon is offering the best rate we’ve seen in years on the legacy Greenworks 24V 22-inch Cordless Laser Cut Hedge Trimmer for $97.49 shipped, with the price also matching directly from Greenworks’ website. While it carries a $150 MSRP from the brand, we’ve been seeing it keep down at $127 over at Amazon since mid-April, with today’s sudden discount taking it lower than we’ve seen it go in over a year. You’re looking at a 23% markdown that gives you $30 off Amazon’s going rate and $53 off the MSRP, landing it at the best price we’ve tracked in over 12 months.

You’ll reliably be able to upkeep your hedges and shrubbery through the seasons with this tried-and-true Greenworks 24V cordless hedge trimmer. It comes with a 4.0Ah battery that provides up to 60 minutes of continuous runtime off a single charge, with the battery even doubling as a 24,000mAh USB power bank when it’s not powering the tool. The dual-action, laser cut 22-inch steel blades allow for up to a 3/4-inch cutting capacity, while the ergonomic rotating handle provides more flexibility and comfort when hitting awkward angles and performing more complex shape-ups.

If you’re more interested in the brand’s commercial-grade lawn care solutions, we’ve spotted quite a few low prices on solid packages over the week:

Best Spring EV deals!

Best new Green Deals landing this week

The savings this week are also continuing to a collection of other markdowns. To the same tune as the offers above, these all help you take a more energy-conscious approach to your routine. Winter means you can lock in even better off-season price cuts on electric tools for the lawn while saving on EVs and tons of other gear.

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Solar panel maker Meyer Burger US files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy [Update]

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June 27, 2025

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Solar panel maker Meyer Burger US files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy [Update]

meyer burger us Chapter 11
Photo: Meyer Burger

Swiss solar manufacturer Meyer Burger has filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy relief in the US after filing for insolvency proceedings earlier this month in Germany.

June 27, 2025: In a court filing on Wednesday, Meyer Burger stated that it was starting the Chapter 11 bankruptcy process in the US. The company estimates its assets between $100 million and $500 million, and its liabilities between $500 million and $1 billion.

Meyer Burger lists its largest creditor with unsecured claims as US Customs and Border Protection, with $5.1 million in unpaid import duties, according to Solar Power World.

As Electrek reported at the end of May, Meyer Burger shut down its Arizona solar factory and terminated all employees, citing a lack of funding.

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June 2, 2025: On Saturday, May 31, Meyer Burger announced that its subsidiaries in Germany have each filed for insolvency proceedings. As we wrote below last week, the employees in Hohenstein-Ernstthal in Saxony and Bitterfeld-Wolfen in Lower Saxony were furloughed last year, but they’ve now been laid off.

Meyer Burger Germany in Hohenstein-Ernstthal employs 289 people in mechanical engineering and technology development. Meyer Burger Industries’ solar cell factory in Bitterfeld-Wolfen employs 331 people.

Subsidiary Meyer Burger (Switzerland) AG, which employs around 60 people in Thun, will remain in operation. Meyer Burger (Americas) Ltd. will also remain a company.

Due to ongoing financing discussions on restructuring, the company has requested an extension of the deadline for presenting its 2024 financial results, which expires today.

May 30, 2025: On May 29, all 282 remaining employees at the Goodyear, Arizona, factory received termination notices, and operations were shut down immediately. The site was still in its ramp-up phase and had a planned annual production capacity of 1.4 gigawatts. Meyer Burger had just started assembling solar cells imported from its factory in Germany.

The company says it’s been forced to shut down the US plant due to a lack of funding. The future of the Goodyear facility is now uncertain.

Meyer Burger is currently in talks with bondholders as it tries to restructure debt tied to two convertible bonds that mature in 2027 and 2029. Those bonds were issued by its subsidiary MBT Systems GmbH and guaranteed by the parent company.

It’s unclear what this means for Meyer Burger’s factories in eastern Germany, a company spokesperson told German press agency dpa. Around 300 employees at each site, in Hohenstein-Ernstthal in Saxony and Bitterfeld-Wolfen in Lower Saxony, were furloughed last year.

Meyer Burger has struggled for a few years, in no small part due to competition from cheaper Chinese solar imports. In 2024, it cut around 20% of its 1,000-person workforce, even as it moved ahead with US expansion plans. In December, the company secured nearly $40 million in bridge financing from creditors to keep things afloat, but that money appears to have run dry.

Meyer Burger says it will share more information as it becomes available.

Read more: Meyer Burger abandons German solar cell factory plans to build a US factory instead

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Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisers to help you every step of the way. Get started here. –trusted affiliate link*

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Hurricanes, heat domes, and holding up the grid with home batteries

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June 27, 2025

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Hurricanes, heat domes, and holding up the grid with home batteries

Tapping into the power of bring-your-own-battery programs

Hurricanes, wildfires, and triple-digit heat domes are stressing America’s energy grid like never before, with millions experiencing rolling blackouts and brownouts as they struggle to keep their collective cool. As rooftop solar and home batteries show up in more and more places, however, we’re building something bigger than a backup: a virtual power plant that can keep things running when the grid can’t.

Imagine a network of hundreds, or even thousands of interconnected batteries, all networked together and coordinated with advanced distribution software to operate like a single store of energy, able to move energy from one battery to another, instantly, as soon as it’s needed, in a way that’s hardly noticeable to the people involved.

Got that in your head? Good. That distributed energy resource (DER) you’re imagining now is called a “virtual power plant,” or VPP.

Virtual power plants are a win-win solution that flips our traditional energy model on its head—instead of utilities spending billions on new infrastructure and passing those costs to ratepayers, VPPs allow homeowners to step in to help the grid keep electricity prices stable and prevent grid blackouts. It essentially turns neighborhoods into their own power plants, so we’re not forced to purchase expensive power from facilities miles away. This keeps money in our pockets and our grid more stable, which feels like common sense in a world where our electricity demand and prices keep climbing.

Kristina Zagame
Sr. Researcher, ENERGYSAGE

And, as more Americans bring solar power and home battery backup systems online, they’re building a new kind of fast, distributed, grid support — one that’s already sitting in people’s garages and basements.

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“We’ve been piloting the way in which we should do this for 30 years,” explains Jigar Shah, former Director of the Loan Programs Office in the US Department of Energy said on the Plugged In podcast earlier this week. “The utility says, ‘We need to be able to upgrade the distribution grid so that you can do whatever you want. You can turn every single thing on in your house at the same time, and we have to be able to serve you.’ That bargain is getting way too expensive. We can’t keep upgrading the distribution grid … What (the utilities) need to do is to figure out how to help work with customers to say, ‘Hey, we need you to opt into load flexibility, in a way that isn’t noticeable to you, and that requires cultural change.”

The good news is that that “cultural change” is already happening.

We’ve got the juice

GM Home Battery; via GM Energy.

At last year’s Solar & Energy Storage Summit in San Francisco, Wood McKenzie delivered an in-depth assessment of the current state of the US distributed solar-plus-storage market and showed that the attachment rate (the number of people adding a battery to their home solar system) had quadrupled since Q1 2020, growing from 6% in Q1 2020 to 25% in Q1 2024. That number has continued to climb, driven in large part by the Tesla Powerwall, which is being produced at the staggering rate of nearly 700,000 units per year. That same report forecasts 10 GW of residential storage capacity will be installed between by 2028, with the residential segment constituting about 80% of all DERs.

Those Powerwall installations are paying off, too — and not just for the utilities who are able the leverage the distributed energy resource/VPP aspect, but for their owners, too. And I mean “pay off” in the most literal sense, with Tesla having paid out $9.9 million to Powerwall customers in 2024 alone.

Following the pilot program, Tesla and PG&E, the electric utility covering Northern California, launched the first official virtual power plant through the Tesla app.

This new version of the Tesla Virtual Power Plant actually compensates Powerwall owners $2 per kWh that they contribute to the grid during emergency load reduction events. Homeowners are expected to get between $10 and $60 per event.

Later, we reported that Tesla’s California VPP expanded to Southern California Edison (SCE) to now cover most of the state.

Last year, Tesla’s California VPPs reached over 100 MW in capacity, and the company also started building significant VPPs in Texas.

Fred Lambert
Editor in Chief, ELECTREK

The growth of battery backup power isn’t just about emergency prepping or lowering your own energy costs, in other words. It’s about avoiding the multi-billion-dollar cost of constantly expanding and reinforcing the existing grid by optimizing the system we already have.

And, by shifting demand loads away from peak demand periods and creating a store of clean solar and wind energy that would otherwise be curtailed (read: wasted), VPPs also help utilities decarbonize by reducing the need for “peaker plants” that run on fossil fuels.

With smart policies, the right incentives, and willing utility partners, each new home battery can eventually become a tiny piece of a decentralized, more affordable, and more reliable grid — one that can flex, adapt, and support itself in real time.

Too bad we (probably) won’t have those for much longer.

Original content from Electrek.

Read More: It’s time to start recommending some Tesla Powerwall alternatives

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